The present invention relates generally to building structures and, more particularly, to storage building structures and an apparatus for connecting load bearing members for storage building structures.
Prefabricated buildings, such as storage buildings or sheds, are intended to be purchased, assembled, and maintained by consumers who do not necessarily have the training or inclination to assemble and maintain such a structure, particularly if such assembly and/or maintenance requires a great deal of skill. Accordingly, prefabricated metal storage buildings have been developed that include pre-punched fastener holes and other design features that simplify the assembly of such a storage building. However, such designs typically require a large number of threaded fasteners (e.g., 600 or more threaded fasteners), such as screws and bolts, for a typical storage building having a length of about eight feet (about 2.4 meters) and a width of about ten feet (about 3.0 meters). This large number of threaded fasteners causes the assembly, maintenance and disassembly of a storage building to be a time consuming and tedious task, especially for the typical consumer who is not accustomed to assembling storage buildings. Assembly could be simplified by providing only a few but relatively large portions of the storage building to the ultimate purchaser. For example, each portion could comprise either an integral or preassembled major component (such as an entire wall). However, such an approach is inconsistent with the need to package the unassembled storage building in a relatively small shipping container to enable the consumer to easily transport it from the place of purchase to the site on which the storage building is to be erected. Further, preassembly of numerous separate components involves additional labor, increasing the overall cost of the storage building.
In addition, the large number of threaded fasteners, associated holes and inevitable nicks and scratches that occur during installation of the fasteners provide a large number of locations that can be undesirably prone to corrosion.
Accordingly, efforts have been made to design storage buildings that may be assembled with a substantial reduction in the required number of threaded fasteners and/or rivets.
For example, Australian Petty Patent No. AU-B-46098/97 discloses a storage building structure that includes corrugated panels, made from sheet steel, and edge channels for attachment to upper and lower ends of the corrugated panels. The edge channels are formed from rolled sheet steel. Each corrugated panel includes punched lugs adjacent the upper and lower edges thereof while the edge channels include projections engaged by the punched lugs in the corrugated panels in order to lock the corrugated panels to the edge channels.
Another example of a storage building structure with reduced reliance on fasteners is shown in PCT published application No. PCT/AU99/00765, which discloses a clip fastening system for attaching a wall panel to a frame rail using a clip. The clip is fitted to the frame rail and has pawl-like tabs which locate in apertures in a side wall of the frame rail. Corresponding apertures on the edge of the wall panels permit the pawl-like tabs to snap fit through the apertures and retain the wall panel to the frame rail. In an alternative embodiment, the clip is formed integrally with the frame rail by pressing out a flap from a side wall of the frame rail, each flap including a pawl-like indent.
Yet another example of a storage building that uses a reduced number of threaded fasteners is shown in Danhof et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,328 (xe2x80x9cthe ""328 patentxe2x80x9d), which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The ""328 patent discloses an apparatus that uses slotted horizontal frame members sized and spaced to accept ends of vertical support members. The apparatus also includes a panel connection configuration utilizing U-shaped vertical edges of wall panels that are adapted to hook onto edges of vertical support members, and that are locked in place using a clip member.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a wall panel for a storage building is provided. The wall panel includes: a first arcuate ridged region bounded by a first inner clamping surface, and a second inner clamping surface; and a second arcuate ridged region bounded by a first outer clamping surface and a second outer clamping surface. The second arcuate ridged region is adapted to securely overlap and snap fit interconnect with the first arcuate ridged region of a second adjacent wall panel.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the wall panel has an upper edge and a lower edge, and the first and second arcuate ridged regions extend from the upper edge to the lower edge.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the first and second arcuate regions each include slots, for example, rectangular slots, located adjacent to the upper edge and the lower edge. The slots may extend in a direction substantially parallel to the upper and lower edges.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, the wall panel further includes a first web portion forming approximately a 270xc2x0 angle with the first inner clamping surface.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the wall panel further includes a second web portion forming approximately a 275xc2x0 angle with the second outer clamping surface
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a storage building includes: a plurality of wall panels, each wall panel including a first arcuate ridged region bounded by a first inner clamping surface, and a second inner clamping surface. Each wall panel further includes a second arcuate ridged region bounded by a first outer clamping surface and a second outer clamping surface. The second arcuate ridged region is adapted to securely overlap with the first arcuate ridged region of an adjacent wall panel.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a storage building comprises a plurality of wall panels and a plurality of channel-shaped horizontal elongate structural members. Each wall panel includes a first arcuate ridged region bounded by a first inner clamping surface, and a second inner clamping surface. Each wall panel further includes a second arcuate ridged region bounded by a first outer clamping surface and a second outer clamping surface. The second arcuate ridged region is adapted to securely overlap with the first arcuate ridged region of an adjacent wall panel to form a pair of overlapped wall panels, and the overlapped wall panels are adapted to be received by at least one of the channel-shaped horizontal elongate structural members.